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Moving Your Child From Crib To Bed

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There is no prescribed age or time when infants should be transferred from their cribs to toddler beds. Observe your child’s abilities from 18 months to 12 years before deciding on the transition. In general, this transition normally occurs between one to three and a half years old. Observing how active your toddler is in his new bed is a good indicator of knowing how ready he or she is for the change.

Other Reasons for Transitions

Safety concerns are also why parents transfer their toddler from a crib to bed. Worries of children climbing over the crib walls and jumping out will start to surface as your baby grows bigger. However, having such worries does not mean you have to transfer your baby at once.

You may want to try out simple remedies such as putting a crib tent, and ensuring the crib mattress is relatively low. Another reason for changing your toddler’s sleeping nest is the arrival of a second child. It is recommended for parents to move out their baby out of their crib eight to six weeks before the second baby’s due date.

Useful Transition Tips

A first step to ease the transition is to place the toddler’s new bed on where his or her crib used to be. This way, your child will not be surprised due to the sudden change of location. Find a mattress with a design that you think might interest your child. Even if your child may seem too big for his crib, you will still need to install a guard rail. Allow him to use his crib blanket for a while and gradually change it to a new one when he is used to his new bed.

Many parents face the challenge of toddlers getting upset with their new sleeping bed. The trick is not to give up right away. You can show some encouragement by spending a little more time together inside the bedroom, with your baby in his new bed.

Signs that the Child is Not Ready for the Bed

Timing is essential for your child to enjoy his new bed. Your child is not ready when he shows the following signs: roams around at night, takes a longer time to fall asleep, gets out of bed many times and cries for your presence. Parents should not force their child to stay in his or her new bed as they might not be cognitively mature or emotionally ready.

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